Triadelphia Reservoir CBC -- 1997 Results (LONG)

Norm Saunders (osprey@ARI.Net)
Thu, 22 Jan 1998 04:45:45 -0500


TRIADELPHIA RESERVOIR CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT #50
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20th, 1997

 The fiftieth Triadelphia CBC was a resounding success from start to
 finish, with perfect weather followed by a pot-luck dinner
 tally-rally, which we hope will become a new tradition! In a season
 marked by highly unusual "el Niņo" weather conditions, count day had
 moderate temperatures ranging from 25 degrees F by the Patuxent River
 at dawn to an almost balmy 60 degrees F by mid-afternoon.

 No new species were seen this year, but we did set records for high
 numbers for seven species (Hooded and Common Mergansers, Black
 Vulture, Bald Eagle, Tufted Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and
 European Starling) and tied the old highs for three others
 (Green-winged Teal, Merlin and Red-headed Woodpecker). The woodpecker
 and nuthatch numbers don't surprise me so much, since both species
 have been seen in good numbers in our area since mid-September, but
 this was only the seventh year that Merlins have been seen on the
 count, and they seem to be wintering in our area more and more.

 As exciting as the rise in Bald Eagles was, the dramatic increase in
 Starlings over last seasons ten year low seems cause for concern.
 Hopefully this was just a fluke and not an indication of the ever
 increasing over-development our area has seen in recent years.  I
 received a note written on a tally sheet from Howard County stating
 that the area is shrinking because of development and that CBC
 participants were approached about what they were doing by folks
 claiming private property rights, etc. even though they were not
 trespassing (thanks to Marty Chestem and Helen Zeichner). I
 experienced the same thing on the count this year in Montgomery
 County, on parkland that borders a private horse farm. The count
 circle does indeed seem to be shrinking!

 Seventy-one field observers saw eighty-five species of birds,
 totaling nearly 130,000 individuals (last year we had 68 observers
 and 91 species). Thanks to all who participated this year and
 especially for extra help to the following: Larry Iager at W.S.S.C.
 for his continued permission to trespass on watershed property on
 count day; Rob Gibbs for taking over as leader for Area 7 and for his
 help gaining us access to the Brookside Nature Center for our tally;
 to Howard Youth for taking on the leadership of Area 5 and doing a
 fantastic job of organizing that area even though a case of chicken
 pox kept him from doing the count; to all who brought food or drinks
 to the tally pot-luck dinner and helped make it a success; and to
 Norm and Fran Saunders, Kathy Neugebauer, and Darius Ecker for
 helping to bring you these results via computer. This is another
 innovation started this year, and one which we hope will continue
 into the next century, as the National Audubon Society prepares to
 bring us the full historical database of Christmas Bird Counts,
 stretching all the way back to 1900, on its new web-site!

 Nancy and I would like to wish you all a belated Happy New (birding)
 Year, and we hope you get to enjoy some of the special treats that
 winter has brought our way - winter gulls, nuthatches, and
 crossbills. 

         Rick and Nancy Sussman
         Ashton, MD

Participants (area leaders in BOLD):

D.H.  Michael Bowen, Frank Boyle, Carl Brudin III, Rod Burley, Marty
Chestem, Dennis Coskren, Jane Coskren, Lynn Davidson, Diane Davis, L.
Wesley Earp,  Darius Ecker, Daniel Edelstein, Rob Etgen, Jeffrey
Friedhoffer, Linda Friedland, Rob Gibbs, Gregory Gough, Jim Green, Joe
Halpin, Jane Hill, William Hill, Barbara Holloman, Lenore Holt, David
Holmes, Marshall Howe, Mike Kerwin, Jay Kilian, Gisela Locherer,
Cynthia Loeper, Nancy Magnusson, Rich Mason, Michael Moffatt, David
Mozurkewich, G. Dwight Mueller, Cecily Nabors, Kathy Neugebauer, Daryl
Olson, Richard Orr, Peter Osenton, Dave Pardoe, Jeremy Pearse, Susan
Polniaszek, Andy Rabin, Gemma Radko, Chandler Robbins, Fran Saunders,
Norm Saunders, Lydia Schindler, Kurt Schwarz, Jay Sheppard, Suzanne
Shoemaker, Steve Smith, Jo Solem, Charles Stirrat, Jamie St.Onge, Paul
Sunshine, Rick Sussman, Debi Talbott, Winifred Walker-Jones, Mark
Wallace, Hal Wierenga, Sybil Williams, Jane Winer, Carole Winter, Jeff
Winter, Robert Winter, Paco Wong, Mike Young, Howard Youth, Helen
Zeichner and Richard Zusi.



Triadelphia Reservoir CBC     Species Summary           1948-1997

                                  Last
                          Years   Year   High    High Comments for
                           Seen   Seen  Count    Year     1997
====================================================================
Common Loon                  9    1992       2  1988 
Red-throated Loon            1    1987       1  1987 
Pied-billed Grebe           36    1997       6  1996 
Horned Grebe                23    1995       7  1961 
Red-necked Grebe             1    1951       1  1951

Western Grebe                2    1959       2  1953
Great Blue Heron            42    1997      44  1993
Great Egret                  1    1984       1  1984
Green-backed Heron           2    1988       1  1984
Tundra Swan                 23    1996     316  1984

Mute Swan                    3    1987       2  1962
Snow Goose                   8    1996       7  1994
Canada Goose                42    1997  13,880  1983
Greater White-fronted Goose  1    1990       1  1990
Wood Duck                   18    1995      18  1961

Green-winged Teal           25    1997      24  1997   -- tied 1974 
American Black Duck         50    1997   2,000  1953 
Mallard                     50    1997   2,500  1955 
Blue-winged Teal             1    1973       1  1973 
Northern Pintail            24    1997      25  1981

Gadwall                     23    1996      22  1978
Eurasian Wigeon              1    1996       1  1996
American Wigeon             44    1997      75  1958
Northern Shoveler            4    1978       7  1965
Canvasback                  13    1996      14  1975
Redhead                     13    1987       8  1976

Ring-necked Duck            27    1997      98  1991
Greater Scaup                2    1976       1  1973
Lesser Scaup                13    1991      25  1977
Common Goldeneye            23    1997      63  1983
Bufflehead                  30    1997      32  1984

Oldsquaw                     4    1975       5  1975
Hooded Merganser            38    1997      57  1997   -- new high! 
Common Merganser            46    1997     274  1997   -- new high! 
Red-breasted Merganser       5    1994       6  1988 
Ruddy Duck                  19    1997      12  1951

Black Vulture               44    1997     183  1997   -- new high! 
Turkey Vulture              50    1997     722  1992 
Bald Eagle                  14    1997       5  1997   -- new high! 
Northern Goshawk             4    1996       1  1967 
Northern Harrier            36    1995      12  1973

Sharp-shinned Hawk          42    1997      25  1993
Cooper's Hawk               37    1997       9  1991
Red-shouldered Hawk         49    1997      77  1981
Red-tailed Hawk             50    1997      89  1993
Rough-legged Hawk           11    1989       3  1986

American Kestrel            50    1997      46  1975
Merlin                       7    1997       2  1997   -- tied 1994 
Peregrine Falcon             1    1963       1  1963 
Ruffed Grouse                1    1978       5  1978 
Ring-necked Pheasant        29    1995      31  1982

Wild Turkey                  2    1996       2  1996
Northern Bobwhite           37    1995     208  1974
American Coot               24    1997      80  1956
Killdeer                    48    1997     108  1984
Common Snipe                35    1997      29  1990

American Woodcock           20    1997       4  1990
Laughing Gull                3    1994       6  1976
Bonaparte's Gull             4    1991      23  1987
Ring-billed Gull            35    1997   5,604  1992
Herring Gull                33    1997   8,238  1987

Iceland Gull                 7    1994       4  1994
Thayer's Gull                2    1994       2  1994
Lesser Black-backed Gull    13    1995      10  1993
Glaucous Gull                4    1994       1  1990
Great Black-backed Gull     13    1995     128  1994

Rock Dove                   24    1997   1,311  1981
Mourning Dove               50    1997   2,567  1993
Barn Owl                     9    1984       3  1977
Eastern Screech-Owl         41    1997      25  1961
Great Horned Owl            37    1997      28  1986

Barred Owl                  43    1997      13  1977
Long-eared Owl               7    1986       6  1986
Short-eared Owl              2    1983       1  1978
Northern Saw-whet Owl        9    1995       6  1995
Belted Kingfisher           48    1997      48  1993

Red-headed Woodpecker       17    1997      12  1997   --tied 1966 
Red-bellied Woodpecker      50    1997     443  1993 
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker    40    1997      31  1993 
Downy Woodpecker            50    1997     336  1982 
Hairy Woodpecker            50    1997      87  1993

Northern Flicker            50    1997     308  1993
Pileated Woodpecker         37    1997      90  1993
Eastern Phoebe              26    1997       7  1993
Horned Lark                 35    1995     375  1966
Blue Jay                    50    1997   1,528  1981

Northern Raven               1    1978       1  1978
American Crow               50   1997   26,337  1985
Fish Crow                   37    1997   6,817  1984
Black-capped Chickadee      17    1983      86  1954
Carolina Chickadee          50    1997   1,229  1993

Tufted Titmouse             50    1997     813  1997   -- new high! 
Red-breasted Nuthatch       36    1997     112  1997   -- new high! 
White-breasted Nuthatch     50    1997     286  1993 
Brown Creeper               50    1997      90  1982 
Carolina Wren               50    1997     513  1993

Bewick's Wren                1    1954       1  1954
House Wren                  12    1996       3  1975
Winter Wren                 49    1997      56  1974
Golden-crowned Kinglet      49    1997     241  1975
Ruby-crowned Kinglet        42    1997      26  1996

Eastern Bluebird            50    1997     375  1993
Hermit Thrush               44    1997      60  1994
American Robin              43    1997     678  1991
Gray Catbird                25    1997      17  1984
Northern Mockingbird        50    1997     601  1994

Brown Thrasher              29    1997       9  1974
American Pipit              18    1995     150  1974
Cedar Waxwing               42    1997   1,149  1984
Northern Shrike              1    1994       1  1994
Loggerhead Shrike           26    1984       9  1954

European Starling           50    1997  18,734  1997   -- new high! 
Yellow-rumped Warbler       48    1997     123  1971 
Pine Warbler                 3    1993       1  1968 
Prairie Warbler              1    1995       1  1995 
Palm Warbler                 4    1996       1  1949

Ovenbird                     2    1991       1  1991
Common Yellowthroat          9    1997       2  1991
Yellow-breasted Chat         4    1995       2  1972
Western Tanager              1    1977       1  1977
Northern Cardinal           50    1997   1,401  1980

Dickcissel                   3    1967       1  1958
Indigo Bunting               2    1996       1  1991
Eastern Towhee              46    1997      90  1996
American Tree Sparrow       50    1997     544  1955
Chipping Sparrow            19    1996      24  1972

Field Sparrow               50    1997     609  1975
Vesper Sparrow               8    1983       2  1959
Savannah Sparrow            38    1997      59  1991
Grasshopper Sparrow          1    1963       1  1963
Fox Sparrow                 35    1997      73  1994

Song Sparrow                50    1997   1,233  1982
Lincoln's Sparrow            5    1995       1  1991
Swamp Sparrow               49    1997     106  1976
White-throated Sparrow      50    1997   3,502  1980
White-crowned Sparrow       48    1997     111  1974

Dark-eyed Junco             50    1997   2,561  1982
Snow Bunting                 5    1994      14  1992
Red-winged Blackbird        42    1997  12,337  1983
Eastern Meadowlark          50    1997     384  1959
Yellow-headed Blackbird      1    1985       1  1985

Rusty Blackbird             23    1997     163  1990
Common Grackle              42    1997 100,000  1983
Brown-headed Cowbird        42    1997   3,895  1970
Northern Oriole              5    1970       1  1952
Purple Finch                42    1997   1,007  1982

House Finch                 31    1997   1,789  1993
Red Crossbill                3    1977       7  1972
White-winged Crossbill       1    1965       6  1965
Common Redpoll               3    1990       3  1959
Pine Siskin                 18    1995      84  1977

American Goldfinch          50    1997     657  1981
Evening Grosbeak            26    1996     229  1963
House Sparrow               50    1997   1,425  1982